I’ve spent $40,000 on shoes and I have no place to live? I will literally be the old woman who lived in her shoes!

–Carrie Bradshaw, Sex in the City

About the Book

Feet are interesting photographic subjects that often get overlooked. In Best Foot Forward, photographer Eric La Price has gone feet first into portraying women’s feet from the most alluring to the basic. He shows us that feet can be expressive of the person they belong to — perhaps even more so than a portrait.

CONTENTS

Each section of the text focuses on a specific topic and includes a short history behind the theme.

Starting Off On the Right Foot is an introduction to how this book came about. It explains the derivation of the phrase Put Your Best Foot Forward. Come to think if it, it’s an odd saying to use as it implies three or more feet.

Head Over Heels explores the origins of the high heel at a time when even men wore heels. ‘Tis true, high heels were popular among men before women. And it’s not just male models wearing them today!

Footloose and Fancy Free considers the string bikini of the shoe world, the sandal. Ooh, la-la!

Toe the Line explores the origins of the toe ring. Did you ever wonder about the origins of the nursery rhyme This little piggy went to market?

Charmed, My Foot examines the rich history of anklets. What you wear on your feet (or not) deserves an appropriate sidekick, don’t you agree?

On Your Toes discusses pedicures and the proper care our feet deserve. Did you know that six out of ten teens ignore foot pain? Be forewarned! April is National Foot Health Awareness Month.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side goes back to the primitive origins of tattooing the foot. Cut to present day: Actor Alan Rickman in Blow Dry sported a very interesting tattoo on the bottom of his foot. What was it? A lightning bolt being cut in half by a pair of scissors!

The Naked Truth takes in the cultural and health aspects of going barefoot. Hey Earthlings, did you know that walking barefoot is called “earthing” and has many benefits like increasing antioxidants, reducing inflammation, and improving sleep. Not recommended for sidewalks!

There’s even an Index of each photo with information about the model. Tres cool!

Footnote gives the reader the technical information on the camera equipment that Eric used for this particular project.

About the Author & Booker Press

Photographer Eric La Price

Eric’s earliest memory of his vow never to be without a camera was on a fishing trip with his dad on Presque Isle Bay where he caught a Muskie, a highly prized game fish. At the time, it was the biggest fish he’d ever caught. He wanted to bring it home and have his picture taken with it, but he had to release it because as big as it was it wasn’t a legal size to keep. Being ten years old, he was devastated and really wished he had brought along his Kodak Instamatic to capture the moment.

He became genuinely interested in photography in 1986 in the eighth grade when he asked for a 35mm camera as his graduation present. It was a Pentax K1000 with an all-metal body. He shot with it for more than a decade. In the latter half of the nineties he upgraded to the Pentax ZX-5N, which had automatic focus. In 2003, he made the jump to digital.

Over the years, he has captured a variety of images, including meteor showers, comets, covered bridges, wild horses, and lightning. Many of his scenic images and portraits have appeared in books, magazines, and calendars. A photograph of the snow-covered Gudgeonville Bridge, destroyed by fire in 2009, was featured in Pennsylvania magazine. In 2009, he won the Best of Show Award in photography at the annual Cortez Cultural Center’s spring art show.

Presently, Eric resides in Cottonwood, Arizona, with his three cats, King Leonidas, Claudius, and Taz.

Booker Press

Booker Press offers traditionally printed, high-quality books of photography accompanied by commentary and essays that enlighten readers. It strives to create original works recognized for their unique themes and creativeness, to help spread the passion for the “art of seeing” and keep photography in the forefront of the fine arts.